CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Even victims like 17-year-old Yousef Gharvi were tempted to give the benefit of the doubt about Aurora Theater shooting suspect James Holmes’ mental stability. But he is now convinced that Holmes was completely sane when police say he opened fire inside the Aurora theater July 20.

“But after I saw the photos he just looked happy excited,” Gharvi says. “He’s not insane he was just doing it to make a statement.”

Prosecutors showed pictures Gharvi referred to in court during Holmes’ preliminary hearing Wednesday. Investigators recovered them from Holmes cell phone. The pictures were taken just hours before he’s accused of killing 12 people and injuring dozens more.

One photo shows Holmes sticking his tongue out at the camera, with his eyes covered by black contacts and his dyed red hair sticking out of a skull cap.

Another one shows the suspect smiling and holding one of the handguns police say he used inside the theater.

“He’s not crazy, he’s evil,” says Tom Teves, whose son Alex died in the massacre. “This man went in and gunned down my son.”

Other pictures taken from Holmes cell phone show he cased the theater weeks before the attack, focusing on exit doors and door hinges.

One image shows Holmes’ car parked by a rear theater door propped open with plastic pieces police say he made.